Jobs to Do in the Garden in April

Now that the clocks have gone forward and the sun has finally started to show itself a little more often, the sound of lawnmowers can be heard as more people get back into the garden.

Although warmer, April can also be showery and even still frosty at night, so it's important to keep an eye on the weather and continue to protect vulnerable plants and shrubs for a little longer.

We cover the most important jobs to do in your garden this month.

Maintenance

If you haven't yet, pay attention to your lawn - remove any dead moss with a rake or scarifier and then fork over to help drainage. You can still sow any thin patches, or apply fertiliser to help a growing lawn. It's also time to start mowing, but keep the blades on a high setting for the time being.

Remove any weeds from the lawn and from flowerbeds and borders as well as below hedges and shrubs, to make room for new growth. Use a hoe to remove weeds from around seedlings to help them grow.

Check and remove faded flowers from any early-flowering bulbs such as daffodils.

Look out for slugs and snails and use slug pellets in problem areas if necessary.

Planting

You can plant seedlings which were sown in Autumn such as Sweet Peas, outside in their chosen positions so that they'll look their best in the summer.

Plant your flowers in hanging baskets and keep them in the greenhouse while the plants develop and grow stronger. Other less hardy plants can also be sown in trays and kept in a greenhouse or on windowsills.

Bulbs such as Begonia tubers can also be planted in pots and kept in the greenhouse or other sheltered areas. In milder areas in the south, other tubers such as Dahlias can be planted outside towards the end of April.

Try planting lilies in pots so that you can move them around and decide where they work best, to fill any gaps in the planting of the your garden.

If you like to grow vegetables, it's a good time to sow carrots, beetroot, peas, winter cabbages or broccoli outside, and other things such as tomatoes, courgettes, marrows and squashes in a heated greenhouse.

Have you been able to enjoy getting out in the garden much yet this Spring? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.